Waste, fire contracts for Wales released

The Wales Town Board, at a work session Tuesday, released figures for the 2013 refuse and fire contracts, although they cannot be approved until the next board meeting Nov. 13.

The contract with Waste Management remains the same at $218,915 and calls for a tax levy of $206,915 after being shored up by $12,000 from the town’s fund balance. It includes a flat fee of $170.06 per unit, the same as this year.

The plan allows for a special recycling program, called RecycleBank.com, at no extra cost to the town. Customers can join the program online. The town hopes the program will encourage residents to recycle with a point program that could result in an average payback for curb customers of $167.

Waste Management will assist residents in getting the program going. The company also is working with residents in the Town of Aurora.

Since there is no way the company can measure how much one home gets over another, it collects, counts and then averages out the recyclables for the payback. It is hoped residents will encourage their neighbors to increase their recycling and it will be a win-win for everyone, town officials said.

In addition, the negotiations between the town and the refuse company will retain the year-round once-a-week collection of bulk items, including large appliances such as stoves, washers and dryers. The company initially had wanted to limit the pickup of bulk items to once a week from April to October.

A public hearing on the Wales Fire Protection District fire contract will be held prior to the regular Nov. 13 board meeting.

The firemen have had a five-year contract with the town with a 4 percent increase each year.

The new five-year contract calls for a 6 percent increase the first two years, 5 percent the next two years and 4 percent in the final year.

The fire protection district covers half the Town of Wales, and the contract requires a tax levy of $210,929 and carries a tax rate of $2.33 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, an increase of 3.31 percent of seven cents from this year.

The South Wales Fire District covers the other half of the town and levies its own tax rate and budget.